A Garden of Roses
by SmallPrettyLittleWondersInLife
Summary: Three girls arrive at Ouran, each with their own quirky personality and special talents. Bit by bit, each girl begins to open up and change the life of their respective host, helping them all overcome their own personal obstacles, fears, and the challenges life throws at them. I suck at summaries, but please read and review. Hikaru x OC, Kyoya x OC, Kaoru x OC.


**A/N: Herrrooo~! This is my veryveryveryveryvery first fanfiction _ever, _at least for the Ouran High School Host Club fandom. I am excited about it, but it has OC's, soooo not sure how this fandom likes/handles OC fanfics? **

**I promise it gets better, this is just an introduction. ^_^**

**And it's a bit long, but please don't stop, it just needs to be introduced...**

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Chapter 1

The Scholarship

Her heart was beating a thousand beats per second, sweat drops racing down her forehead, hair clinging to the back of her feverish neck.

There was nothing louder than the cheering that surrounded her, screaming that expressed belief and hope from those watching the game. Yet Karen could hear absolutely nothing but the sound of the ball, slamming against the rubber gym floor, flying up to meet her outstretched hand. She could feel her blood racing within her body, could feel her eyebrows draw together in concentration. There was a pounding in her head, like Indian drums beating harshly in the silent night. The air was thick with the intensity, the intensity of the game that would determine…well, everything. Or at least, it _felt_ like everything. Win it, or lose it. In only one minute, she could loose everything- or gain it. Loosing, that wasn't an option for Karen. A fire burned in her honey gold eyes, a white hot determination that was unstoppable. The cheering fans seemed to fade until she could see nothing but her opponent's eyes, red-ringed and wide, forehead creased, cheeks flushed, knees bent. She saw nothing but her opponent, nothing but the flash of colorful jerseys and the large, black timer mounted on the wall. She heard nothing but her rapidly palpitating heart and the squeaking protest of basketball sneakers as they rubbed against the wooden floor, leading her to wherever her body commanded, the soles burnt and tattered.

The count was twenty-two to twenty-one. They were behind by one point, and that was too small of a margin for Karen - if she was going to lose, she would do it after giving it her all. However, losing by one point was too ridiculous. Too pathetic. Too, "I _didn't _give it my all." Nobody who gave it their all could lose by one imbecile point, or so Karen believed. Clenching her jaw and ignoring the burning, acid like pain in her thighs and the waves of nausea that threatened to arrive, she pushed forward, towards her opponent, faking left and, in the miniscule of a second, going right. She slammed the ball against the ground over and over as she raced to half court, lungs screaming for air, legs pulsing with exertion, her body eating away the court beneath her until she reached past half point. She scanned the court hastily, all the time making sure to move and not come to a full stop, looking for an open teammate. They were all taken. Her defender caught up to her, jamming her elbow into Karen's side. Karen grunted and shoved back at the girl, swallowing only to find out her mouth had been deprived of hydration for the past half an hour. Her defender loomed in front of her, veins popping out of her arm, muscles flexed and teeth bared, a wild animal hungry for its prey. Karen was tall enough to play basketball, though just barely - she would never be able to become a professional with her height. Her opponent, number twenty two, was at the very least two inches taller, and her arms bulged with the reward of hard, grueling work, blocking most of Karen's view. But she wouldn't let height get in her way. Not today. If she lost today, she'd never get into Ouran. It was a long shot already.

But there was no other way.

She faked it, but lingered too long towards the left, leaving her barely a millisecond to switch to the left side and start dribbling. Her sneakers squeaked loudly, the bottom of her feet burning in the crowded heat of her basketball shoes. She ran towards the left and flipped her bangs out of her eyes, sweat on her long lashes as she tried to spot an open teammate. They were good, this team; after all, they were the current national champions, for the high school division at least. She couldn't spot a single team mate, and she kept bouncing the ball aimlessly towards the court as she had been.

"OPEN!" She heard a scream rip through the sleek wooden tiles. She snapped her head towards where the voice and saw Elizabeth Schuberts's ponytail slapping her cheek as she bounced back and forth between her left and right foot, eyes wide and focused. "PASS!" Karen yelled, ripping her own throat to shreds as she made eye contact with her team mate and best friend. Elizabeth's mouth twitched into a quick smile, as if to say, "See? I'm always there for you," and it made Karen become more excitedly. She sent a strong bounce pass towards Elizabeth, seeing an opponent attempting to run their way quickly and knowing a chest pass would've been intercepted. The ball made it cleanly to Elizabeth, who began dribbling towards the basket right away. Only thirty-two seconds now. If they could make it to the basket, and if Elizabeth or someone else could make a basket, then they would win it. And Karen liked the thought of that. She trusted Elizabeth, but at times like this, she almost always wished she could be the only one dribbling and shooting that ball. She wanted to be in charge, to make sure things went according to plan. It was one of her flaws, one of the things the team disliked about her - though they were closest friends and loyal supporters, Karen always wanted to be in charge, and that ended up with her usually being a ball hog. Just now, Karen tried to will herself to relax as she speed towards the basket. You can trust Elizabeth, she tried to tell herself. She's an amazing player, and she's never let you down- off the court and on. Chill.

She couldn't. Grunting to push through the stabbing, burning pressure pressing against her calves and gnawing on her thighs, she dashed across the gym, nearing the back board more and more.

Go for a two pointer, she tried to send tell Elizabeth with her eyes and movements. Don't go for a one-pointer; that's only a tie and we're all too tired to hold out overtime. While everyone in Karen's team was huffing and puffing, cheeks flushed and arms bright red, foreheads pale and hair wild, wrapped in thick layers of sweat with damp uniforms, the opposing team looked only tired, not in pain or excruciatingly exhausted.

Elizabeth was at the three point line. She kept running, fingers rough as they handled the basketball, alternating between hands rapidly. Suddenly her defender caught up, waving her arms wildly in front of her, standing on her tip toes and bouncing on her heels to block the basket better. Elizabeth panicked, but Karen called out an opening, and the ball sailed towards her. Her offender quickly ran to catch up, but they were right by the basket. Karen ran, stopped, and jumped up to the basket, about to launch the basketball -

when suddenly she was grabbed by the ankle and yanked down, hard, slamming her body against the wooden floor with the force of the push and yank. She hit the gym floor with pain reverberating throughout her spine, shaking her bones. Her weight was on her ankle, and she heard a small crack as she cringed, small tears forming on the edge of her eyes from the pain. She let out a yelp and quickly removed her foot from beneath her. She could barely move it, and when she tried she felt a fresh wave of pain on her ankle, as if someone was stabbing her, needles piercing through her flesh. She closed her eyes, barely hearing or feeling anything but that pain and the hotness of her body any more. She heard a buzzer go off somewhere, the loud noise of a collective gasp from the audience and she felt people shaking her and lifting her, taking her somewhere. But she didn't know and didn't care where. A heavy feeling pressed down on her, and suddenly, she knew they had lost.

* * *

"Are you alright, Karen?" A familiar, gentle voice asked softly. Karen crunched her eyebrows together and slowly became conscious of someone's warm hand on her shoulder, a palm pressed against her cheek, thick blankets wrapped around her body. Her eyes fluttered open to meet a pair of sweet, worried chocolate brown ones.

"Mary? Where..." Suddenly she remembered. Falling, hitting the hard ground, pain all over her leg as the time ran out and the basketball bounced past her, the numbers still 21-22. She sighed and slumped, only to realize she was wearing pale baby blue scrubs and was sitting in a plastic blanket the color of washed out khaki. She sat up quickly with surprise - she'd never wear something so old and stupid to sleep - and glanced around the small, square room. On the bed next to her, sitting in a plastic chair with his eyes closed, was her father, Jeff. His short brown hair looked wild and ruffled, his face pale and sweaty and his suit uncomfortably tight and brown as he sat sleeping with his head resting against his hand. There were white walls all around with childish little posters of Winnie the Pooh and Hello Kitty. There were two doors, both crystal and white, and a TV rested against the far left corner of the room, Hannah Montana singing passionately on the small screen.

"We're in the hospital," Mary said softly, as she always spoke. "Don't worry, you're alright," She reassured quickly, lightly squeezing the hand she had on Karen's shoukder. She glanced sadly at the foot of the bed, eyebrows drawing together. "But you're ankle...you, um..." She searched for the right way to break the news gently. She hated being the bearer of bad news, even when they weren't her fault - bad news broke her heart, especially when they regarded her family and friends. She floundered and bumbled for about ten seconds before her sister rolled her eyes and cut in for her.

"Sprained it?" She didn't sound happy, or even normal about it, but Mary was shocked to hear no surprise in her tone.

"Um, yes..." She hung her head a bit. She knew how much her sister loved basketball, and even though she'd been injured before, right now was such an important time for her to be playing her favorite sport. After all, their future together might depend on it. A month ago, their father, Jeffrey, had told them that he was planning on sending Mary away to boarding school in Japan.

***FLASHBACK***

_"An elite academy named Ouran," He had said with a proud and enthusiastic voice, but his eyes had looked worried and uncertain. "What?! What the hell?! No! What's wrong with you?!" Karen had shouted, but he just ignored her and went on. He had been expecting that reaction from her. He knew his daughters, after all. Just as he'd expected, Mary had been quiet, looking uneasy with a glimmer of unhappiness lingering in her usually kind and happy brown eyes. He had sighed, but gone on just the same. "Ouran Academy is located in Tokyo, Japan. It's only half an hour away from the town you were born in, Mary. I'd like you to get your background and culture better. After all, you're half Japanese, but ever since we left to America, you've not once visited your hometown. And..." There he looked uncertain and confused, like a child wondering what'd be best - to lie about eating the cookie, or to just admit right out that he'd done a terrible deed. Well, he went with the former. "That's really all. The school is amazingly expensive, but with what I am being paid with this new science project by NASA, there's really enough room to pay for your tuition..." Karen's eyes went wide then, and she threw her homework down on the floor, standing from the couch. "You mean we're going to get separated?!" Did I forget to mention Karen has a sister complex? Yes, well. _

_"Only for a year or two, Karen-" She was fuming, fire burning in her topaz eyes, face flushed scarlet. "No! That's too long! Any time is too long! What, did you inhale some crazy chemical at work or something? Are you on something? Are you high? What's WRONG WITH YOU?!" She'd always had a temper, even more so where her sister was concerned. And, of course, she was a shouter. The only time she had a rational head was when she played basketball, really, or when her family's health was in danger. "I'm not on anything." Jeffrey tried not to laugh or looked amused at her words. "YES. You are," Growled Karen, shaking her blonde locks in rage. "No, Karen," He started growing a bit stern. Karen looked taken aback; he hardly was serious or stern. But her rage didn't falter. "I wanted to pay for you to attend as well. However, even with the money I'm making now, I can't afford for both of you to go..." He looked uncertain again, but this time dinished his thought. "And I couldn't apply for an academic scholarship, since your grades are poor." He was blunt, unlike his daughter Mary, and much like his other one, who seemed to hold hell in her Amber eyes right now. "I'll be sending you away to a different boarding school, in Iceland, with more reasonable intuition." Karen exploded and shouted a string of choice words I'd rather not repeat, for the sake of the rating of this story, which I want to maintain at T. _

_"NO! She's not going to Japan, and I'm not going to Iceland! Why are you sending us away?" He was quiet then, and Karen felt satisfied. She'd stumped him. "...I think it'd be good for you. We travel quite a bit, so you've never really had a place to call home, and a boarding school could become your home. You're home schooled because of that, so you need to be around children your age. The only people you talk to are the ones on the Basketball team, Karen, and you need to get to know people who may not share the same interests, make other friends. Mary, you talk to adults more often than kids, and when you do, you act scared. It's just not healthy, and I need you two to get a chance to be normal." He looked a bit upset, which won over Mary right away. "Um, but...our home is with you, daddy," She said softly, giving him her sweetest smile. "Yeah," Said Karen, who'd suddenly also calmed down. "We don't need to be normal kids or any of that stupid shit-" Mary squeaked, "Karen," at her harsh vocabulary. Karen grinned mischievously. "And if you're sending us away, let us at least be together..." Jeffrey sighed. "Yes, but I want Mary to know her birthplace and her mother's culture and background. You've lived in America your whole life, but Mary moved from Japan when she was only five, and she hardly knows anything about that side of her. Which is why I'd like to send her to a school that allows her academic ability to grow and be fulfilled, as well as offers great extracurriculars. But I just can't afford both of you, and you don't exactly qualify for an academic scholarship-" _

_"What about an athletic one?" Cut in Karen quickly. See, she can be smart, but only when she wants to or is interested. _

_"Those are only offered to boys...they encourage girls to practice fine arts, such as tea ceremony, cooking, gardening, and flower arranging or dance. They don't exactly love girls playing sports-" _

_"Sounds like a prissy school, ew. But if Mary's going, so am I." Jeffrey rubbed his eyes. "I told you, they only offer athletic scholarship to boys." Karen rolled her eyes and shrugged. "I'll cut off my hair. I'm flat chested anyway, and I have an athletic build." Jeffrey looked at her as if she'd grown another head. _

_"My school only has a girl's basketball team, so it'll be harder to convince them if I am the only guy in a girl's team. However, this is America, and mixed teams aren't as rare. Besides, there isn't a boys basketball team, so we can just say it was my only option. We pretend I am a guy, they see me play in Nationals, and then I get a scholarship. Boom! Everything's fine, though shit would be easier if you didn't send us away," She said, anger returning to her features. She started ranting once more about how stupid it all was for him to send it away, and then a soft voice piped up. _

_"I think it's a good idea. I'm helping cut your hair," Said Mary, and the entire house went silent. Mary was the polar opposite of loud, impulsive, temperamental and sarcastic Karen. She was soft, gentle, a little meek and she was amazing with schoolwork and house duties such as cleaning or gardening, though she couldn't really cook and children made her nervous. She wasn't the type to go with the flow, but she also didn't usually agree to crazy ideas with big consequences. And just now, her usually soft voice was still gentle, but it was also strong and determined. Her eyes were still kind, but they were also set and firm, as if there was no changing her mind. Truth was, Mary was scared of going to school on her own. She'd never really been around people, let alone kids, except for in her kindergarten years before she moved to America - ten years ago. She didn't want to go through it alone. _

_The silence was broken by Jeffrey sighing and facepalming. "I can't believe I am letting you do this." Karen broke out into a triumphant grin, and Mary hugged her dad lovingly, followed by Karen, who suffocated them both in her tight embrace. "This is crazy and it's going to make us die," Jeffrey went on, but he was already hugging them back. _

_****END FLASHBACK***_

on the door, and a blonde man with sunglasses and a crisp black suit entered. He held a stack of papers in both his hands, and he smiled politely at Jeffrey, kindly at Mary and Karen, then finally turned to look at the short haired girl. "MisTER Bennington?" Asked the man, violet eyes winking as he took off his glasses. "Yeah, that's me alright," said Jeffrey, who had conveniently just been shaken awake by Karen. "No, I meant the younger Mister Bennington," For a minute, the small family of three looked at each other. Mary caught on rather quickly to the situation. Her eyes lit up with excitement and apprehension. Perhaps there'd still be a chance.

"Yes, that's my brother. He's right here..." She smiled and went to stand next to Karen, pointing at her. Karen gave her sister a questioning look and was about to open her mouth and shout that she wasn't a boy, but fortunately the suit man cut her off. "Yes, I am Headmaster Suoh of Ouran Academy." And that shut Karen right up. "I was asked to come here in regards to Mister Bennington applying to an athletic scholarship. I must say, you are a rather talented player. It's a shame about your injury. What the other team's player did was unforgivable, pushing you like that. You would've won, had the referee not been biased, I believe." Karen looked suspicious. He was being way too...nice. "So did I get the scholarship or not?!" She asked impatiently. Mary gave her a small look and Jeffrey coughed in amusement. Karen didn't notice any of this, crossing her arms expectantly.

"Well, it'd be horrible to pass up such a gifted player. We'd love to have you join the Ouran basketball club, and by default, attend our school with an athletic scholarship." Everyone went quiet, and then Mary laughed softly and hugged her sister tight, happiness in her eyes. Karen was too shocked at first to respond, but then she began shouting excitedly and hugged her sister back. They would go to school together! Finally, she didn't feel so horrible about boarding school, but one look at her father - who beamed with pride but not one bit of surprise - made her feel a bit nauseous at the thought of their family being separated.

"We will send you both your uniforms and information packets the following week. Have a great fall, and we'll see you for the winter semester." He smiled. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Mister..." He trailed off suggestively. Karen panicked. She didn't have a boy name.

"Uh...call me..."

"Tadashi," Cut in Jeffrey. Karen turned to look at her father with wide, angry eyes. She hated that name. His beam proved he knew it. "Yes,  
She spit out through gritted teeth. "My Japanese name will be...Tadashi."

the headmaster raised an eyebrow and smiled in a friendly manner. "And what is your English name?" Mary piped in this time. "Ben!" She said happily. She could be evil if she wanted to, as well. Headmaster laughed. "Ben Bennington, how fun," He said enthusiastically. "Well, I must excuse myself now. I look forward to seeing you both the following semester."

And that, my friends, is how their journey began.

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**I have pictures of what Karen and Mary look like. Or should I say, Tadashi and...what should Mary's Japanese name be? Her full English name is Mary-Alice Bennington. Mary used to live in Japan until age five, but then they moved to America for her father's work, so Mary and Bennington are technically fake names. Mary's real Japanese last name is Hasegawa. So I'd like some suggestions for her name? Haha. She's a nice person, I'd say, gentle and sweet but she likes to play pranks [small ones] from time to time. Likes Gardening, and she's good with animals and...bad with children...haha. Long brown hair and brown eyes, pale skin. Help me with a name?**

**Chapter two should be up in half an hour, this was just a short introduction. PLEASE, please review, I need encouragement this is my first trial with this fandom...I'd like five reviews to make me feel better? Haha :) No, I am not saying I will not write without reviews, I am just hoping for five.**


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